Top 10 Pro Wrestlers With Fascinating Lives Beyond The Ring

Nothing is quite as great as watching the drama and beatings unfold in the WWE or Ring of Honor. Besides the intense feats of the wrestlers, there are also the many catchphrases.

“I am the best there is, the best there was and the best there will ever be,” for instance. Or even better, Stone Cold Steve Austin’s famous “Austin 3:16.”

Yet even beyond the rivalries and glorious fights in the ring, many of our most beloved pro wrestlers have made names for themselves outside the ring. For these men and women, brawn is only one of the characteristics making them great.

Ready to learn about the outside lives of some of your favorite professionals? See how many you know beyond their wrestling facades.

1. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

We couldn’t make this list without naming Dwayne Johnson. If we tried, we would probably find ourselves blacklisted by fans. (Don’t worry; we’d join the riot ourselves.)

Dwayne Johnson was first passed over from becoming a professional football player due to an injury. This encouraged him to join the WWF (which later, as any fan knows, became the WWE). It didn’t take long for his famous eyebrow raise to soar him to fame, but in recent years he has taken Hollywood by storm, too.

Appearing in films like Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Moana, he has become a legend throughout the filming industry. In fact, he’s so popular many fans have been begging him to run for president, a task he finally admitted he’s considering.

2. John Cena

Not too far behind is “The Prototype,” John Cena. Cena exploded into the ring, where he captured the UPW title, the OVW heavyweight title and the United States WWE Championship.

He’s also becoming increasingly popular in movies, where he’s starred in roles as varied as a Marine who must save his wife to a “sensitive, muscle bound boyfriend.”

Beyond acting, Cena also enjoys the hip-hop culture, which led to his career as a rapper. His debut recording came in number 15 on the US Billboard’s chart.

3. Jesse Ventura

Arguably the wrestler with the most jaw-dropping life is Jesse Ventura, also known as Jesse “The Body” Ventura.

Even before joining the wrestling community, he had an intriguing past as a Navy SEAL who served in Vietnam. After attending college at North Hennepin Community College, he dove into wrestling and took up acting.

However, that’s the least interesting bit of Ventura’s life. He was the mayor of Brooklyn Park and followed it up by becoming governor of Minnesota. After deciding not to run for re-election, he became a political commentator and wrote several books.

4. Kurt Angle

If you look up “warrior” in the dictionary, we’re pretty sure you’ll see Kurt Angle’s name listed. Why? Because he won an Olympic Gold Medal with a “broken freakin’ neck,” as he so eloquently describes the injury.

Angle was the first wrestler to hold the WWF and WCW World Championships in a single year. In 1996, Angle succeeded in winning the Olympic Gold Medal in the 220 pounds weight category with three bulged and herniated discs sticking into his spinal cord, multiple pulled muscles in his neck and two cracked vertebrae.

Doctors warned him that his attempt for the Medal could result in paralysis, but it didn’t phase him in the slightest or stop him from winning.

5. “Diamond” Dallas Page

The three-time world champion was one of the “hottest merchandise commodities in modern wrestling.” He faced against some of the greatest wrestlers of all time, including the legendary Ric Flair. (If you want to see some crazy fights with Flair, learn more here.)

Page’s insatiable energy also made him superb at acting, an art to which he invested himself fully under the guidance of acting coach Howard Fine. Fine is who taught Brad Pitt and other famous celebrities.

That crazed, demonic energy became somewhat tamed when Page fueled his efforts into an unexpected sector. He now runs a yoga and fitness program and inspirational seminars.

6. David Otunga

His tagline isn’t a joke: “I’m the only Harvard-educated lawyer in the history of the WWE.” In fact, it’s a far cry from laughable.

On top of wrestling, Otunga was a Harvard lawyer who had a secured position with a law firm when the bell sounded, sparking his wrestling career. On top of providing legal commentary to famous news channels, Otunga is also an actor.

7. Ludvig Borga

Like Ventura, Ludvig Borga (known as Tony Halme beyond the ring) also dove into politics after his wrestling career. But first, he became a professional boxer.

Afterward, he joined the Finnish Parliament and was a member from 2003 to 2007.

Unfortunately, his life began to take an unpleasant downwards spiral after his wrestling career fizzled out. He turned to substance abuse and began reporting memory problems. In 2006, he entered a mental institution.

He took his own life in 2010.

8. Kamala the Ugandan Giant

While he may have never visited Uganda, Kamala the Ugandan Giant, or James Harris away from the screen, became an immediate fan-favorite among wrestling audiences. However, he also has an interesting story to tell off the mat.

Harris has had a tough life, to say the least. He has only a ninth grade education and has seen death much too often, especially in the murder of his sister and father as well as his son’s lost battle to AIDS. Further, health struggles have led to Harris losing both of his legs.

His tenacious spirit and uplifting attitude remain. Currently, he is the recent author of a book and a musician.

9. Eve Torres

She started her career through dancing and modeling. Eventually, she joined the University of Southern California, where she was a member and the Vice President of Omega Phi Beta.

While working full time as a model, she entered into the WWE and rocketed to fame after winning the 2007 WWE Diva Search. She has appeared in several films and trains women in self-defense at the Gracie Institute through the Women Empowerment program.

10. Megaman

In one of the most action-packed lives beyond wrestling, “Megaman” Nathan Jones was an armed robber before his debut on the mat. Between 1985 to 1987, he took part in eight armed robberies, making him one of Australia’s most wanted men.

He served seven years in prison for his crimes and quickly skyrocketed to fame in the wrestling and Strong Man arenas. After, he joined the growing number of pro wrestlers turning to the silver screen.

Want to Join Them?

We don’t blame you. These pro wrestlers have more than just moves on the mat.

But it takes a lot of work. When Diamond Dallas Page was asked how he felt about being inducted into the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame, he told reporters, “I guess I really summed it all up on the inside of the Hall of Fame ring, WWE ask [sic] for an inscription on the inside of the rings and I just wrote, ‘Work ethic equals dreams! DDP.'”

Reach for the Ring

You heard it from one of the best wrestlers of all time. So get working! Take a look at our blog to read about the 10 pieces of home gym equipment that will get you started.

Who knows? One day you could have your own tagline or roar into a microphone, “Do you smell what [insert your name here] is cooking?”

Then again, that’s kind of outdated. It’s best to blaze your own path.